The German champion Alba Berlin is only one win away from the record cup winners title.
The Berliners won the semifinals of the Top Four of the Basketball Bundesliga against the Niners Chemnitz 91:81 (41:39) on Saturday and are fighting for their eleventh national cup success on Sunday (3 p.m. / Magenta Sport). So far, like Bayer Leverkusen, Alba has won the BBL Cup ten times.
In the final, the capitals meet the Hakro Merlins Crailsheim. The Swabians prevailed in the first semi-final against the Basketball Löwen Braunschweig with 85:71 (46:36).
The best Berlin throwers against Chemnitz were Maodo Lo and Jaleen Smith with 19 points each. Most recently, Alba clearly won against Crailsheim in the league with 106:74.
Smith (19 points like Maodo Lo) had an extremely tough first half, hitting just one of six three-pointers. But with a strong final quarter he secured the victory. “My team-mates told me at half-time that I should keep shooting three-pointers, keep going,” he said with a laugh to BZ on Sunday after the game. “And in the last quarter he finally flew in. That was a great relief.”
His goal? Definitely a win on Sunday. “Now I want to win my first title against Crailsheim and another for Alba,” said Smith.
Strong outsider Chemnitz
Chemnitz showed no respect for the favorites from the start. The surprise team of the previous season started boldly and surprised the Berliners with an aggressive and variable game. The Niners won the first quarter with 31:23, at the beginning of the second period Chemnitz had a lead of ten points.
Alba seemed quite impressed and struggled. Also because in Lo and Luke Sikma the two stars of the Berliners did not initially find their way into the game. That changed towards the end of the second quarter.
Lo, in top form for weeks, now took charge and led Alba in an 11-0 run. At the break, the capitals led 41:39, although Chemnitz had played an impressive first half. “The second quarter was crucial because we only allowed eight points there,” said Lo.
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After the break, Alba continuously increased his lead. In the meantime, the Euroleague team led with 13 points.
But the Chemnitz team, who had often demonstrated their comeback qualities this season, didn’t let themselves be shaken off and closed the gap again by five points (68:73).
But Lo and Smith stopped the bold outsider from catching up after beating holders Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals.
Albas Luke Sikma: “We knew it was going to be a really tough fight. They put us under a lot of pressure at the beginning. But Jaleen is a bloody fighter, I could see the twinkle in his eyes. But against Crailsheim we all have to step it up a notch. Then we also get the pot.”
Crailsheim fights Braunschweig down
In the first semi-final, Crailsheim prevailed against Braunschweig thanks to a strong final quarter. The best pitcher for the Merlins was TJ Shorts with 26 points, for the Lions David Krämer scored 25 points. “It’s a huge thing for us,” said Crailsheim coach Sebastian Gleim after the game on “Magenta Sport”.
The outstanding shorts was also over the moon. “It means everything to us. You’re playing to win titles and now we have the chance.” Despite the defeat, Braunschweig’s Krämer was proud of his team. “We gave everything. It was a great fight,” said the international.